FSU Football Head Coach Mike Norvell Addresses SEC Commissioners Playoff Snub Slight

With the way the 2023 season unfolded, Norvell took the high road in response to FSU and UGA getting snubbed from the CFP.

Jul 22, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State head coach Mike Norvell speaks to the media during ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

With the start of the 2024 College Football Season inching closer and closer and Florida State's fall camp set to kick off this week, college football fans from around the world are itching for a glimpse of their beloved sport to sound off when the ball finally flies through the air.

Last year's season for the Seminoles didn't end the way most would expect after a perfect 13-0 run and ACC Championship win over No. 14 Louisville. The ever-growing controversy surrounding conference expansion (and reduction) has drawn eyes and scrutiny from some of the league's most powerful figures.

READ MORE: ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips Maintains Fair Treatment Of FSU, Clemson At ACC Kickoff

Florida State's exclusion from last year's College Football Playoff spurned a fire, causing a controversy in the fluid state of the college football landscape. FSU suffered a devastating 63-3 loss to Georgia after a mass opt-out of players preparing for the NFL. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey recently went on record to take a slight at the Seminoles for their outrage at the CFP snub despite Georgia's imperfect record and the 'Noles being undefeated.

FSU head coach Mike Norvell, alongside defensive end Patrick Payton, defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, and offensive lineman Darius Washington, touched down in Charlotte, NC, to meet with the media for the annual ACC Kickoff. Norvell cleared the air about the situation and what is to come this season.

"I don't disagree that Georgia was one of the top four teams if you're judging off talent and ability, but they also earned their loss," Norvell said. "That was part of the result of what happened on the field. When you look at our team and what it was, we controlled the things we could control. We unfortunately had an injury, but we had a team that responded to it."

Norvell was referring to the devastating leg injury that former FSU star quarterback and now New York Jet Jordan Travis suffered during Florida State's 58-13 win over Northern Alabama, a significant loss for a team with National Championship aspirations. Florida State would go on to finish the regular season undefeated, playing with a backup quarterback in a rivalry win against Florida before turning to third-string true freshman Brock Glenn in the ACC Championship and Orange Bowl.

Still, there was no doubt that Georgia had a formidable team, which threw fuel on the fire. Media pundits and personalities were all over the place regarding who should get into the final four of the last year of the four-team playoff. Both Texas and Alabama, alongside Georgia, had a loss on their record (Texas and Alabama made it in, neither of which won the National Championship), so the question remains as to how impartial the old playoff selection process was.

"Everybody can have an opinion of what happened," Norvell continued. "I don't disagree they were one of the four best teams, but what happened on the field kept them (Georgia) out of the playoff."

But that is behind the Seminoles in Norvell's eyes. The main focus is on this season and their Week '0' matchup against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland on August 24. There is now a new 12-team playoff model, which should even the playing field when there is so little room for error in deciding who is in or who is out.

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READ MORE: FSU Football Players Glaringly Absent from 2024 ACC Player of the Year Preseason Ballot

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